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Educo’s 2014 Accountability Report

Moving towards a culture of accountability

Educo, September 2015

Managed by: Bárbara Pascual

Compiled by: Laura Cantle and Marta Amorós

Copyediting and translation: Christine Antunes and Stephanie Kucker

Thank you to the following for their contributions to this report: Benjamín Arcos, Luis

Bueno, Jordi Cardona, Gonzalo de Castro, Anne Clément, Vanessa Colorado, Marifé

Escobar, Gerard, Ferrer, Imma Flotats, Francesc Font, Ana Fuente, Clarisa Giamello, Cristina

González, Mª Angeles López, Monica Grau, Laia Martínez, Laura Martínez, Claudia

Monterroso, Diego Navas, Chema Rodríguez, Dori Rodríguez, Victor Ruibal, Clara Sainz,

Cristina Velázquez and Yukiko Yamada.

Special thanks to the Educo teams in Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cambodia,

Ecuador, El Salvador, Ghana, Guatemala, India, Mali, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines and

Senegal for their collaboration in preparing this report.

For more information or for questions regarding the contents of this report, please contact

us at [email protected].

1 | Educo’s 2014 Accountability report

Contents

1. Strategic Commitment to Accountability .................................................................................................. 4

1.1 Message from the Executive Director................................................................................................ 4

2. Organizational Profile ....................................................................................................................................... 5

2.1 Name of the organization ...................................................................................................................... 5

2.2 Primary activities ........................................................................................................................................ 5

2.3 Operational structure of Educo............................................................................................................ 5

2.4 Location of the Head Office .................................................................................................................. 6

2.5 Nature of ownership and legal form ................................................................................................. 6

2.6 Target audience ......................................................................................................................................... 6

2.7 Scale of the organization ....................................................................................................................... 7

2.8 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, governance

or ownership ............................................................................................................................................................. 8

2.9 Awards received in the reporting period ......................................................................................... 8

3. Report Parameters ............................................................................................................................................. 9

3.1 Reporting period ....................................................................................................................................... 9

3.2 Date of most recent previous report ................................................................................................. 9

3.3 Reporting cycle .......................................................................................................................................... 9

3.4 Contact person for questions regarding the report or its contents ...................................... 9

3.5 Process for defining reporting content ............................................................................................. 9

3.6 Boundary of the report ........................................................................................................................ 10

3.7 Material content limitations of the report .................................................................................... 11

3.8 Basis for reporting on national entities, subsidiaries, outsourced operations or other

entities ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11

3.10 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the boundary, scope or

measurement methods applied in the report ........................................................................................... 11

3.12 Table referencing the location of all Standard GRI Disclosures in the report ................. 11

4. Governance Structure and Key Stakeholders ....................................................................................... 12

4.1 Governance structure and decision making process ................................................................ 12

4.2 Division of powers between the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director ............ 13

4.3 Number of members of the Board of Trustees ........................................................................... 13

4.4 Mechanisms for internal stakeholders to provide recommendations to the Board ..... 13


4.5 Compensation for members of the Board of Trustees and members of executive

management .......................................................................................................................................................... 14

4.6 Processes in place for the Board of Trustees for identifying and handling conflicts of

interest ..................................................................................................................................................................... 14

4.10 Process to support the Board of Trustees' performance ........................................................ 14

4.12 Externally developed environmental or social charters, principles or other initiatives to

which Educo subscribes ..................................................................................................................................... 15

4.14 Educo’s stakeholders ............................................................................................................................ 15

4.15 Process for identification, selection and prioritization of key stakeholder groups ....... 16

I. Program Effectiveness ......................................................................................................................................... 18

NGO1. Involvement of affected stakeholder groups to inform the design, implementation,

monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs ........................................................................... 18

NGO2 Mechanisms for stakeholder feedback and complaints to programs and policies

and in response to policy breaches .............................................................................................................. 19

NGO3 System for program monitoring, evaluation and learning (including measuring

program effectiveness and impact) .............................................................................................................. 20

NGO4. Measures to integrate gender and diversity into program design and

implementation, and the monitoring, evaluation and learning cycle .............................................. 21

NGO5. Processes to formulate, communicate, implement and change advocacy positions

and public awareness campaigns ................................................................................................................... 22

NGO6 Processes to take into account and coordinate with other actors ................................. 23

II. Financial Management ...................................................................................................................................... 25

NGO7 Resource allocation, tracking and control ................................................................................ 25

NGO8 Sources of funding by category ................................................................................................... 26

III. Environmental Management .......................................................................................................................... 27

EN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight ............................................. 27

EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved.................. 29

EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of activities and services ...................... 29

IV. Human Resource Management .................................................................................................................... 31

LA1 Size and composition of total workforce ...................................................................................... 31

EC7 Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management and workforce

hired from the local community ..................................................................................................................... 31

LA10 Workforce training to support organizational development ............................................ 32

LA12 Performance reviews and career development plans .......................................................... 32


LA13 Diversity in Educo .............................................................................................................................. 33

NGO9 Mechanisms for workforce to raise grievances and get response ...................................... 34

V. Responsible Management of Impacts on Society................................................................................... 35

SO1 The impact of our activities on local communities .................................................................... 35

SO3 Process for ensuring effective anti-corruption policies and procedures .......................... 36

SO4 Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption ......................................................... 36

VI. Ethical Fundraising and Communication .................................................................................................. 37

PR6 Programs for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to ethical

fundraising, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship ...................................................... 37


1. Strategic Commitment to Accountability

1.1 Message from the Executive Director

We are proud to present Educo's fourth Accountability Report, produced in accordance with the NGO

supplement from the GRI (Global Reporting Initiative).

In 2014, one of our significant achievements has been the formulation of the new Strategic Plan, which will

guide our work until the year 2018. This plan has emerged from a highly participatory process involving

over 1,500 people from 17 countries, namely: our supporter base, local partner organizations, our teams,

and over 220 children, who represent the main focus of our action and our priority stakeholder group.

This is just one of the processes that reflect our commitment to a culture of continuous improvement with

respect to transparency and accountability throughout the organization. As the Strategic Plan sets forth

in Objective 4.2, we engage in the evaluation of processes and results and use learning, knowledge and

innovation for effective decision making. Progress towards this objective is made by systematically sharing

relevant information with key actors and society at large, and this report is precisely one of the tools that

Educo uses to fulfill this obligation.

2014 was also the year that we joined ChildFund Alliance, a global network of child-centered development

organizations working in over 60 countries around the world. By joining this alliance, we have fortified our

networking with other actors, combining efforts and exchanging knowledge and experience in order to

improve the impact of our actions and our learning as a civil society organization.

Now we look forward to tackling new challenges:

1. Evaluating the achievement of the goals set forth in our Strategic Plan.

2. Working to ensure that a culture of accountability and transparency pervades all of our

communicative activities.

3. Establishing and implementing mechanisms to improve interaction and feedback processes with

all of our stakeholders.

We realize that this implies a process of ongoing improvement and that this depends, essentially, on the

participation of all people and organizations involved in our work. Only this way will be able to change,

improve and learn together. It is a challenging endeavor but one that we, as an organization, are committed

to: fostering a culture of accountability and learning that will ultimately increase and improve our impact.

José M. Faura

Executive Director of Educo

https://www.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx


2. Organizational Profile

2.1 Name of the organization

"Fundación Educación y Cooperación (Educo)", as established in the current By-Laws.

2.2 Primary activities

We work with children and their communities to promote just and equitable societies that guarantee their

rights and wellbeing. To do this, our activities focus on three key issues:

► Education: Children and adolescents exercise and enjoy their right to an equitable, transformative and

quality education throughout their lives.

► Protection: Children enjoy their right to live in safe and protective environments.

► Governance: Children and adolescents practice active citizenship within the framework of public

systems that promote their rights.

In pursuit of our institutional mission, we coordinate over 130 development projects through 16 local

country offices in Africa, Asia, America and Europe.

We also engage in:

► Awareness-raising activities

► Development Education

► Advocacy campaigns

► Knowledge exchange and networking

► Fundraising

More in-depth information about Educo's activities can be found in our Annual Activities Report (latest

version currently only available in Spanish), webpage, blog and 2015-2018 Strategic Plan.

2.3 Operational structure of Educo

Educo’s structure is comprised of its Head Office in Barcelona and its Country Offices. In function of the size

and scope of the projects, some countries also have local field offices.

In the country offices, in addition to working with its own teams, Educo also carries out projects through

local partner organizations.

Our Head Office is divided into eight divisions (refer to Educo’s Organizational Chart below).

With respect to Educo’s country offices, while there is no set standard structure, they do share the following

common characteristics:

1. The Country Director leads two main teams, programs and program support (administrative). The

Sponsorship team can form part of another program team or constitute its own independent team,

reporting directly to the Country Director.

2. If the office is small, the program team is composed of a project leader or sector specialists (education;

nutrition, sanitation and water; rights-based approach, etc.).

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/MEMORIA-2014.pdf

http://www.educo.org/

http://blog.educo.org/

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/somos/STRATEGIC_PLAN_2015-2018_EDUCO-CHILDFUND_ING.pdf?ext=.pdf


3. If the office is large, a matrix management style is applied. This means that team members are managed

with more than one reporting line: one based on the thematic areas or projects and another based on

the territorial function, as is the case of Educo’s country offices in El Salvador and Nicaragua.

4. If the country office implements the projects through local partner organizations, the Educo team in that

country is made up of between 10 and 15 members.

Below is Educo’s general organization chart for 2014:

2.4 Location of the Head Office

Educo’s Head Office is located at c/Pujades 77-79, 08005 Barcelona, Spain.

Educo’s program countries

In 2014, Educo's own teams carried out projects in 16 countries. We also work through local partner

organizations in the Dominican Republic.

EDUCO’S OPERATIONAL STRUCTURE

Head Office Barcelona, Spain

Country Offices

AFRICA Senegal, Malí, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Benin

AMERICA El Salvador, Bolivia, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Ecuador, Peru

ASIA Cambodia, India, Philippines, Bangladesh

Delegations EUROPE Spain

2.5 Nature of ownership and legal form

Fundación Educación y Cooperación (Educo) is registered as number 790 in the Registry of Foundations of

the Generalitat de Catalunya and regulated by Law 4/2008, of April 24, from the third volume of the Civil

Code of Catalonia on legal entities under Title III on Foundations.

2.6 Target audience

Children are our priority—particularly those from the most vulnerable and excluded groups—with special

attention to girls. Our commitment to children should be grounded in joint efforts with local communities

to support and guide them along the road to transformative and sustainable local development. We also

work in close collaboration with civil society organizations and public institutions that have direct contact

with children.


At the same time, our actions are framed by the principles that guide international development initiatives

in accordance with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and are consistent with the development

strategies and public policies of our program countries. We seek alliances with public institutions that

contribute to achieving our objectives within a framework of promoting human rights.

2.7 Scale of the organization

TEAM: as of 31/12/14, our team was made up of a total of 934 staff.

TARGET POPULATION: in 2014 our development projects reached over 900,000 people, the large majority

of whom are children.

Data from

2014 COUNTRY COMMUNITIES SCHOOLS

CHILDREN &

ADOLESCENTS

ADULTS

(direct

beneficiaries)

AM

ER

ICA

GUATEMALA 384 335 79,876 86,836

EL SALVADOR 286 431 47,163 6,814

NICARAGUA 113 113 41,536 11,358

BOLIVIA 252 272 52,662 28,414

ECUADOR 3 41 33,742 1,522

PERU 20 139 36,929 6,745

AFR

ICA

SENEGAL 38 0 86 5,144

MALI 6 54 22,830 2,859

BURKINA FASO 55 85 19,000 21,660

GHANA 68 59 8,395 905

BENIN 94 94 2,907 0

AS

IA

INDIA 360 457 126,830 7,565

BANGLADESH 51 57 19,960 31,778

CAMBODIA 18 75 31,720 5,529

PHILIPPINES 215 223 95,434 38,034

TOTAL 1,963 2,435 619,070 255,163

SP

AIN

School Educo’s lunchroom program 213 5,384

PAS: Supporting Social organizations 5,264

ED: Awareness education program 400 25,452 62

TOTAL 1,963 3,048 655,169 255,225

COLLABORATORS AND SUPPORTERS: in 2014 we had the support of 102,607 collaborators. On the other

hand, we continue to register a significant increase in the number of supporters on social networks.

In 2014, we have begun to collaborate with 52 companies from diverse sectors, including the food and

beverage, insurance, technology, transportation and trade industries. In the interest of establishing future

alliances to guarantee our projects, we have signed 29 collaboration agreements with some of them. The

type of collaboration has also been varied, ranging from the direct funding of projects to diverse internal

actions manifesting social commitment, marketing campaigns and fundraising events.


NUMBER OF COLLABORATORS 2012 2013 2014

110,292 102,381 102,607

ON-LINE PRESENCE 2012 2013 2014

Followers on Facebook 7,811 38,080 72,655

Followers on Twitter 11,377 17,410 21,125

Visits to the website 398,273 701,002 537,776

ECONOMIC DIMENSION: Educo’s annual financial statements are audited and available on our website. In

2014, total revenue was 33 million Euros (2013: €30.M) and total expenditure was 37.5 million Euros (€30M

in programs and €7.5M in structure). At the end of 2014 Educo’s total net equity was €102.2M (with total

assets of €105.3M and total liabilities of €3.1M).

2012 2013 2014

TOTAL REVENUE in millions of Euros 34.1 30.5 33

TOTAL EXPENDITURE in millions of Euros 39.3 39.8 37.5

2.8 Significant changes during the reporting period regarding size, structure, governance or

ownership

On November 12, 2014, we officially became a member of ChildFund Alliance, one of the foremost

international networks of NGOs working in favor of child protection.

ChildFund Alliance establishes global standards that hold members accountable to the highest level of

quality and integrity in programming, finance, fundraising and governance. Members participate in an

ongoing accreditation process to ensure compliance with these standards by reporting on a total of 30

indicators every four years. At Educo, we complete half-yearly reviews to check our progress towards the

objectives established for each indicator. More information about ChildFund Alliance accountability

standards and processes are available here.

At the same time, in 2014 we consolidated the merger with Educación sin Fronteras, which brought

experience and knowledge to the organization, as well as expertise in the field of education.

Educo’s internal structure also underwent some significant changes in 2014, beginning with the creation of

a new division in the Head Office—the Policy and Strategy Division—whose mission is to foster a culture

of learning and systematic evaluation and to promote the integration of a rights-based approach throughout

the entire organization. This division includes regional advisors on Child Rights in each of the four regions

where Educo works (America, Asia, Africa and Europe).

On the other hand, the Internal Control Department was replaced by the Accountability and Internal

Audit Division, which is committed to two main activities: fostering a culture of accountability in both

internal and external processes (Accountability Department), and ensuring compliance with policies, codes

and the responsible use of resources (Internal Auditing Department).

2.9 Awards received in the reporting period

In 2014, we received various prizes, honors, certificates and other recognition of the work carried out in the

program countries. Educo highly values this acknowledgement, especially considering that proximity is one

of the key elements of our work approach. The following is a brief summary of the most noteworthy

recognitions received in 2014:

http://www.educo.org/

http://childfundalliance.org/governance-and-ethics/


COUNTRY AREA OF RECOGNITION

Benin Children’s participation in formulating a national child protection policy

Bolivia Strengthening of health policies

Burkina Faso Nutritional recovery (Ouahigouya)

Cambodia Construction of schools (Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports)

Ecuador Public health (Guayaquil) / School support (Guayaquil)

Spain Communication campaign “The Magic Sandwich” / School Lunchroom Program

Philippines Nutrition programs (various barangays)

Guatemala Support for farmers (Comité Campesino del Altiplano) / Education-school guidance

(various municipalities) / Promoting quality education–healthy schools (El Quiche)

Mali Child protection (Ségou)

Nicaragua Coordinating Committee for the Global Movement for Children, Nicaragua Chapter

Peru School sanitary installations (Ica) / School support (Ica, Pisco)

Senegal Literacy

3. Report Parameters

3.1 Reporting period

The information provided in this report ranges from January to December 2014.

3.2 Date of most recent previous report

The most recent previous report is for the year 2013.

3.3 Reporting cycle

The Accountability Report is presented annually.

3.4 Contact person for questions regarding the report or its contents

For any questions regarding this report, please contact: Bárbara Pascual, Head of Accountability Internal

Audit email: [email protected], telephone: (+34)933 001 101 – Ext. 4097.

3.5 Process for defining reporting content

The report content has been defined based on the Global Reporting Initiative Level C indicators

recommended by the INGO Accountability Charter in its NGO Sector Supplement 3.0. It also takes into

account:

► Monitoring with respect to the previous report: evaluation and identification of areas for

improvement and commitments assumed.

► Evaluation of the comments of the Independent Review Panel.

► Recommendations from the General Assembly of the INGO Accountability Charter.

► Incorporation of relevant and comparable information which facilitates monitoring.

► Results of the evaluation survey on the report.

► Results of the focus group (the first focus group was conducted to evaluate the 2013 Report).

The Accountability and Internal Audit Division is responsible for compiling the report. The report is compiled

and disseminated in accordance with our Procedure and standards for external publications, and according

to the following timeline:

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/Medios/informe_transparencia_rendicion_de_cuenta.pdf

mailto:[email protected]


# Key activities Responsible party Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

J F M A M J J A S O N D

1 Plan report Accountability Dept.

2 Identify representatives from each

division (writing team) Executive Committee

3 Identify priorities and commitments

made in the 2013 report and create

templates for gathering relevant

information from each division

Accountability Dept.

4 Evaluate the 2013 report and review

and adjust report planning in function

of the feedback received


5 Gather information + draft report

content Writing team

6 Review, consult and validate contents

and gather and consolidate feedback Accountability Dept.

7 Review report in Spanish and translate

to English and French

Linguistic Services

Dept.

8 Draft, design and review Executive

Summary, and translate to English and

French.


+ Marketing team

9 Send report to INGO Accountability

Charter Accountability Dept.

10 Internal and external circulation of

report + Executive Summary(*) Accountability Dept.

11 Receive feedback from the Independent

Review Panel INGO Charter

12 Respond to feedback received from the

Independent Review Panel Accountability Dept.

(*) This includes:

1. Publication on the Educo website in Spanish, English and French

2. Publication on the Educo intranet in Spanish, English and French

3. Publication of a new article in the Educo blog

4. Presentation of the full report and/or the Executive Summary to the different stakeholders

5. Incorporation of the notification of the report’s publication in the corporate signatures

This year we aimed to include more qualitative feedback. The information was gathered in a systematized

way through a general staff survey and focus groups, so that all program countries are reflected in the report.

At the end of 2014, after reevaluating the format and presentation of the final document, we identified the

need to facilitate the process of compiling the report and to make this more accessible to our stakeholders,

thus favoring its circulation. For this reason, we decided that the full report would follow a simplified format

that responds chronologically to indicators, and that this would be complemented by an Executive Summary

that highlights key issues presented in a more user-friendly way for stakeholders.

3.6 Boundary of the report

The report boundary covers the entire organization and includes information regarding Educo’s activities in

all of its program countries around the world.


The report does not include information regarding our partner organizations, since we collaborate with

different types of organizations by establishing medium to long-term or one-time collaborations. However,

all of Educo's local partners are expected to comply with the minimum requirements established in our

Partnership Policy and Guide.

3.7 Material content limitations of the report

As explained in item EN16, in order to calculate the organization's carbon footprint, this year we have

gathered more data regarding the greenhouse gas emissions in all program countries (previously, we only

included data from the Head Office and its delegations in Spain). The data provided for Scope 3 regarding

work-related travel, transport to and from work (commuting) and paper consumption is still limited to Spain,

although one of our objectives for 2015 is to expand this to include the country offices.

3.8 Basis for reporting on national entities, subsidiaries, outsourced operations or other

entities

For this report, we have gathered the information from all Country Offices through a new system that enables

us to compile all relevant information, standardize the data, draw comparisons and exchange good practices.

A standard form was sent to the 16 program countries in America, Asia and Africa (in Spanish, English or

French) to be completed with relevant information about the outsourced activities, the work being carried

out through local partners, and any other activities that are not implemented directly by Educo but that are

considered good practices.

This was done through meetings with the international development team and management team in each

country. Standard templates were created to gather data and one person from each division was assigned

to the process. A shared directory was created so that all program countries could share specific actions and

good practices.

3.10 Significant changes from previous reporting periods in the boundary, scope or

measurement methods applied in the report

Not applicable.

3.12 Table referencing the location of all Standard GRI Disclosures in the report

Not applicable.

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/Partnership_Policy_Guide_20150511_Educo.pdf


4. Governance Structure and Key Stakeholders

4.1 Governance structure and decision making process

The Board of Trustees is the highest governance body. The day-to-day operations of the organization are

led by the Executive Director, who delegates the management of each specific division to its respective

director. Together with the Executive Director, the seven division directors form the Executive Committee.

Each year, the Executive Director and the Executive Committee establish annual objectives for each division,

and for the organization as a whole. Progress towards these objectives is closely monitored and presented

periodically in meetings between the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees.

More information regarding the current members of the Executive Committee and the Board of Trustees is

available on the Educo website.

As stipulated in Educo’s By-Laws and Code of Good Governance, the responsibilities of the Board of Trustees

include:

Board Responsibility Expected results

Supervise the Foundation’s strategic guidelines and approve internal

policies Define an institutional

strategy that is aligned with

the organization’s mission Approve the planning of activities, ensure their fit with the foundational

purposes and guarantee their proper development.

Approve the annual budget and the budget settlement, supervise the

management of the Foundation’s patrimony and ensure the efficient

management and proper allocation of resources. Ensure the proper, efficient

and transparent use of

resources Uphold the principle of transparency as it applies to both management and

information, especially as regards the origin and destination of funds, the

Foundation’s activities and its results.

Review, at least twice during its mandate, its own management and analyze

its fulfillment of its responsibilities in the interest of improving its

performance

Measure the performance

of the highest governance

body

Decision making process of the highest governance body

As stipulated in the By-Laws, for decision making each Trustee has one vote and resolutions are adopted by

majority vote by the Trustees attending or represented in the meeting. In the case of a tie, the President

has the casting vote. Likewise, for the adoption of certain specific agreements, it is necessary to obtain a

two-third majority vote by the Trustees, in addition to the necessary compliance with existing legal

requirements, such as the prior communication with the Protectorate of Foundations1.

In order to streamline the Board’s decision making process, in 2014 it approved the creation of the Delegate

Committee, and executive body formed by five Trustees who meet at the Chairman's discretion to make

decisions on specific issues that have been entrusted to them.

Risk management

Currently, Educo addresses risk management from two perspectives: on the one hand, our legal advisors in

both the Head Office and in our Country Offices provide guidance and expertise on applicable legal norms

and requirements and keep us abreast of the implications of any changes which these may undergo. In

parallel, Educo’s Internal Audit Department ensures compliance with applicable internal and external

regulations; analyzes processes and procedures; assesses management risks and provides corresponding

recommendations, which are communicated to the Country Office and whose implementation is monitored

1 The Protectorate of Foundations is the Spanish administrative body responsible for guaranteeing the exercise of the rights to foundation and for ensuring that the functioning of foundations is compliant with current legislation.

http://www.educo.org/QUIENES-SOMOS/Nuestro-equipo

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/CODIGO-DE-BUEN-GOBIERNO_en_20140922.pdf


with the support of a member of the internal audit team. This process contributes to minimizing, and at

times eliminating, the risk, and is carried out in situ in each of the program countries.

4.2 Division of powers between the Board of Trustees and the Executive Director

In accordance with the Statutes and Code of Good Governance, Educo understands the division of powers

between the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees to be as follows:

The Board of Trustees The Executive Director

Approve the annual budget and the budget settlement,

supervise the management of the Foundation’s

patrimony and ensure the efficient management and

proper allocation of resources.

Draft and coordinate the execution of the

Foundation’s annual budget.

Supervise the Foundation’s strategic guidelines and

approve internal policies.

Define the Foundation’s annual objectives and

coordinate the implementation of the activities

defined in the annual plan.

Approve the planning of activities, ensure their fit with

the foundational purposes and guarantee their proper

development.

Meet with the Executive Committee to make

decisions related to its operative management.

Supervise and support the Executive Director; define

the Executive Director’s functions and responsibilities

and set his objectives and assess his performance on an

annual basis.

Inform and be held accountable to the

Foundation’s Board of Trustees.

The Chairman of the Board of Trustees does not have an executive role.

4.3 Number of members of the Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is made up of eight members: a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman and six Board members.

Additional information about the current Board members is available here.

4.4 Mechanisms for internal stakeholders to provide recommendations to the Board

Educo has internal communication channels that facilitate the exchange of information across the

organization, thus contributing to improving efficiency in our work and encouraging staff to communicate

with the Board and management. These channels include periodic meetings between the Executive Director

and the Board of Trustees (with the opportune participation of different members of the Executive

Committee), in addition to specific meetings involving members of the Board or travel to our projects in the

program countries.

As mentioned earlier, the Internal Audit Department presents its reports, recommendations and risk

assessment to the Board of Trustees.

In 2014, we conducted a global institutional assessment in order to integrate the Child-Rights Based

Approach throughout the organization. This assessment analyzed the degree to which the fundamental

principles of human and child rights—such as non-discrimination, child participation, best interest of the

child, right to survival and development, equality and inclusion, child protection, indivisibility,

interdependence, inalienability, universality, and accountability—are integrated at the core of the

organization. The goal of the institutional assessment was to identify, within the organization, the main areas

for change required for the institutionalization of the Child Rights-Based Approach.

We conducted a universal consultation with all of our internal stakeholders—that is, all staff and volunteers—

and with a representative of the Board of Trustees to assess issues such as governance, accountability and

human rights culture. The consultation took the form of online surveys, focus groups and workshops.

http://www.educo.org/QUIENES-SOMOS/Nuestro-equipo


Through this process we identified institutional strengths and weaknesses. Currently we are in the phase of

drafting an Action Plan that responds to the feedback received and which will be implemented starting in

January 2016.

4.5 Compensation for members of the Board of Trustees and members of executive

management

The Foundation’s By-Laws stipulate that the Board of Trustees shall not be remunerated for exercising its

functions.

As is the case for all staff, the salaries of the Executive Committee members are determined according to

the established salary scales and not in function of performance or the achievement of objectives.

The salary scales are based on a comparative analysis with other organizations working in the same sector

and in the same country.

The Human Resources Division also conducts an analysis—both at the Head Office and program country

levels-—to determine Educo’s position with regards to other organizations.

4.6 Processes in place for the Board of Trustees for identifying and handling conflicts of

interest

The Foundation’s By-Laws, Code of Good Governance and Ethical Code protect against any conflicts of

interest which may affect the Board, and define the specific duties of board members with regards to those

situations which may compromise their objectivity in managing the Foundation.

The Code of Good Governance establishes what is considered a conflict of interest and a signed copy is

published on our website in manifestation of the Board’s commitment.

Additional information about the decision making process of the highest governance body is available in

item 4.1 of this report.

4.10 Process to support the Board of Trustees' performance

As established in the Code of Good Governance, the Board of Trustees commits to carrying out at least two

reviews of its performance during its period of mandate, one at the halfway point and the other at the end.

Likewise, we are currently in the process of preparing the first self-evaluation of the current Board, which

will be carried out in the last quarter of 2015. The results of this review will enable us to assess board

effectiveness and establish a baseline for defining areas for improvement with respect to governance and

for establishing new objectives.

The Foundation's By-Laws regulate appointment of the Board members, the term of their appointment—

currently set at five years—and the conditions for their renovation. In 2014, in the interest of ensuring rigor

and transparency in the appointment of Board members, a Nominations Committee was formed and

charged with the task of selecting potential candidates. This committee is an internal body whose aim is to

set the criteria for and participate in all aspects of the recruitment and selection of Board members, as well

as to inform, advise and short list suitable candidates for Board positions and to propose their appointment,

as appropriate, to the Board.

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/CODIGO-DE-BUEN-GOBIERNO_en_20140922.pdf

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/ETHICAL-CODE_VERSION-MAY-2014.pdf


4.12 Externally developed environmental or social charters, principles or other initiatives

to which Educo subscribes

Our work centers on ensuring the effective fulfillment of Child Rights within the framework of the

international convention that regulates these (The Convention on the Rights of the Child, 1989). Globally,

Educo subscribes to the following initiatives:

► INGO Accountability Charter: The Foundation has subscribed to the principles set forth in the INGO

Accountability Charter since December 2011, and applies them throughout the organization.

► Code of Good Practice of People in Aid / CHS Alliance: Educo has been a member of People in Aid/CHS

Alliance since 2013 and is committed to applying the principles listed in its Code of Good Practice

throughout the organization.

► Ethical Code of the Spanish Fundraising Association: Educo has been a member of AEF since 2013 and

complies with its ethical codes and applies its good practices in all fundraising activities.

► Barcelona + sostenible: We are committed to the application of Agenda 21 in Barcelona, the city where

the organization’s Head Office is located.

4.14 Educo’s stakeholders

The figure below is a graphic representation of Educo’s stakeholders, classified according to the Foundation's

relationship and commitment with each stakeholder group. Identifying and classifying stakeholders enables

us to improve our transparency and accountability, and to build stakeholders' trust in the organization.

We mainly work with the following stakeholders:

Children and adolescents: children are our priority, particularly those from the most vulnerable and

excluded groups, with special attention to girls.

Local communities: our priority commitment to children should be grounded in collaborative efforts with

local communities to support and guide them along the road to transformative and sustainable local

development.

Local, national and international civil society organizations: we prioritize alliances and joint efforts with

civil society organizations based on collaboration and mutual support.

Local, national and international government bodies and public institutions: our actions are consistent

with the development strategies of the public institutions and we pursue alliances that contribute to

achieving our objectives within a framework of promoting human rights.

Support base: as an organization driven by concepts such as social justice and solidarity, Educo relies on

the support of its collaborators. In order to strengthen this relationship, we work to establish closer ties and

communication with our supporters, seeking to increase their commitment to solidarity, as well as their

active participation in the organization’s work. We regard sponsorship as a tool for linking people interested

in helping with children living in vulnerable situations, which makes it an effective means for raising

awareness in pursuit of a more just world. This relationship is bidirectional and based on mutual respect. As

such, sponsorship is fully integrated in our programs and projects, taking on a community approach and

working with children and their families from an early age.

http://www.ingoaccountabilitycharter.org/wpcms/wp-content/uploads/INGO-Accountability-Charter-Text.pdf

http://www.peopleinaid.org/code/

http://aefundraising.org/buenas_practicas/

http://www.sostenibilitatbcn.cat/attachments/article/24/Compromis_22.pdf


4.15 Process for identification, selection and prioritization of key stakeholder groups

A. Beneficiary population

As our mission states, our priority stakeholder group is comprised of our program beneficiaries, namely

children and their communities.

This is consistent with the Child Rights-Based Approach, which considers that social actors can be classified

into three categories: rights holders (children and adolescents), secondary duty-bearers (families,

communities, civil society, the private sector, etc.) and primary duty-bearers (states and international bodies).

Our intervention area in each country is determined based on a thorough appraisal in order to ensure that

our projects are carried out where they are most needed and where they will have the greatest impact. The

appraisal analyzes—using both primary sources (in-depth interviews with authorities and development

Public

administration

Suppliers

International

alliances and

networks

Multilateral

institutions

Local alliances

and networks

Other NGOs

Public opinion

Collaborating

companies

Partners and

donors Sponsors

Patrons Consultants

Community

members

Partner

organisations

School

community

Children and

teenagers

Children and

teenagers’

families

Volunteers Board of

Trustees

Staff

Work Council

(Spain)

EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

DIRECT INDIRECT

INTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS

Communication

media

Networks which

we are members

of


institution representatives) and secondary sources (publications, reports and official statistics)—the

following aspects:

► Relevant data on national issues within the sphere of Educo’s mission.

► Public policy and plans in social sectors and the working of the governmental structures at all levels.

► Presence of other development NGOs—especially in the area of sponsorship—in each zone.

► The network of possible local partners.

In the case of direct intervention, once the geographic area has been identified and the overall goal of the

intervention has been confirmed, we conduct a more in-depth analysis using full questionnaires (e.g.

regarding the situation in each primary school) and participatory processes (e.g. self-appraisal workshops)

with the potential target groups. This enables us to refine our assessment of the problem issues, specify the

appropriate lines of action, complete the table with all of the actors who will take part in the projects and

establish specific criteria for selecting the beneficiaries.

B. Local partner organizations

Educo’s Partnership Policy and Guide (approved in January 2015), establishes the guiding principles, general

framework and relevant tools that illustrate the key features of our partnering process. Our partnerships

should be based on the core principles and values established in our Strategic Plan, and should reflect the

following concepts:

Proximity: we prioritize local efforts in close collaboration with the communities, civil society actors and

public institutions that are in direct contact with children.

Sustainability: we support children and their communities, but in no way intend to substitute or play the

role of the State. All of our programs and projects are, from the outset, aimed at addressing structural causes

of vulnerability and exclusion so that their positive impact will last long into the future.

Capacity building through mutual learning: if we aspire to achieve and sustain the desired results,

capacity building must be an integral component of our partnering efforts.

C. Alliance and networks

Educo is committed to networks and alliances all over the world based on the following criteria:

► Coherence of aims and interests.

► Ability to influence the effective creation and application of public policies, especially those with a

bearing on children and development.

► Relevance to the institution’s strategic themes: priority given to child wellbeing and child rights.

► Spaces which favor inclusion, deliberation and purpose and which are aimed at action, have continuity

and that have a work plan with common results.

► Networks or platforms which are politically relevant, which are recognized as valid interlocutors in the

desired areas of influence, and which have an organizational base to sustain them.

D. Local, national and international government bodies and public institutions

As established in our Strategic Plan, our actions are framed by the principles that guide international

development initiatives in accordance with the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (ownership, alignment,

harmonization, results and mutual accountability) and are consistent with the development strategies and

public policies of our program countries. We seek alliances with public institutions that contribute to

achieving our objectives within a framework of promoting human rights.

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/Partnership_Policy_Guide_20150511_Educo.pdf


PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

I. Program Effectiveness

NGO1. Involvement of affected stakeholder groups to inform the design, implementation,

monitoring and evaluation of policies and programs

All of our actions guarantee and promote the right to participation of children and those who support them.

By applying our institutional principles and operating standards, we encourage and enable people in

situations of vulnerability and exclusion to express their ideas, claim their rights and influence those

decisions that concern them.

Educo’s Child Participation Standards define the way that Educo and its partners work with children to ensure

that they can actively participate in those decisions that concern them. As the Standards establish, all of our

programs and projects should include a strategy for child participation throughout the project cycle, as well

as a monitoring mechanism that has been validated through a participatory process that includes children.

The Standards were formulated through a participatory process and validated by different stakeholder

groups. We are currently working with other organizations to identify which channels and mechanisms are

the most effective for receiving feedback from children.

Case 1: 2015-2018 Strategic Planning Process

During the first quarter of 2014, Educo formulated its 2015-2018 Strategic Plan through a participatory

process that consolidated the contributions of children, their communities, local partners, sponsors and

other collaborators and our team members. This process confirmed that diversity makes us richer, and

that all ideas are valid and necessary to learn and grow as an organization.

We used various participatory methods and consultation tools to encourage stakeholders to express their

opinions through the most effective and appropriate channels: surveys, working groups, focus groups (39

in 8 countries), questionnaires, workshops and feedback sessions. This process took both rural and urban

settings into account, with special attention to the opinions of children in situations of vulnerability.

Overall, the Strategic Planning process involved the participation of over 1,500 people in 17 countries on

four continents. Of these, more than 200 were children with more than nine languages. Contributions

were received from educators and school principals, parents, representatives from public institutions, civil

society organizations and over 30 local partner organizations with whom we regularly collaborate.

A child-friendly version of the Strategic Plan, in the form of a comic book, was designed to ensure that

children’s participation is meaningful and ongoing, and is based on the principle of accountability. This

means that their participation is integrated in each phase of the strategic planning cycle, from the planning

and implementation to the evaluation and learning.

Case 2: Spain – Partnerships based on mutual learning Social Action Program

Educo’s domestic Social Action Program provides support to 52 local organizations working with children

at risk of exclusion in Spain. We promote the adoption of the Child Rights-Based Approach and

networking by creating work spaces that foster mutual capacity building, learning and the exchange of

experience and good practices.

In particular, we seek to foster shared learning with these organizations in order to address issues such as

child protection and to establish a common policy for child protection and safeguarding. These activities

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/Child_participation_standars_20150511_Educo.pdf


are highly participatory. Representatives from Educo and the different organizations analyze, reflect upon

and share information with their respective teams.

These organizations are now promoting the definition of their own child protection and safeguarding

policies, taking into account the opinions and contributions of children and their families.

NGO2 Mechanisms for stakeholder feedback and complaints to programs and policies and

in response to policy breaches

Educo’s Complaints and Feedback Policy is a tool for ongoing improvement that enables us to identify

areas for improvement and create channels so that the people with whom and for whom we work can freely

and openly provide feedback.

To date, this policy has been adapted in our Country Offices in Bangladesh, El Salvador, Nicaragua,

Philippines and Spain. It will gradually be implemented in the other program countries. We expect to adapt

this to the other stakeholders with whom we work, such as local partner organizations, and especially

children, since their participation is a priority commitment for Educo.

The Accountability and Internal Audit Division provides each program country with the necessary guidance

for implementing the policy.

Case 1: Interagency Study on Child-Friendly Feedback and Complaint Mechanisms

Educo coordinated with several agencies—Save the Children UK, War Child UK, Plan International and

World Vision—to conduct a study on child-friendly feedback and complaint mechanisms within NGO

programs.

These agencies regard accountability to children and communities as a strategic priority, particularly given

the current lack of consolidated data and exchange of good practice relating to this aspect of NGO

programs.

The purpose of the study is to ultimately improve the feedback and complaint mechanisms that are

accessible to children and to share results with other agencies.

The study was carried out through case studies from program countries, stakeholder surveys to find out

about current practice, lessons learned and good practices related to child-friendly feedback and

complaint mechanisms, and consultations designed in collaboration with experts in child-related issues.

Case 2: Spain

In Spain we have designed several mechanisms to foster mutual enrichment with the organizations we

work with and to improve our planning. We facilitate this practice through different channels:

► Physical suggestions boxes accessible to all staff and volunteers in the Head Office. In 2014, we

initiated the EDUCO THINKS campaign, which encouraged use of this channel via a series of posters

which indicated improvements achieved by the policy.

► An email account, [email protected], specifically for receiving complaints and feedback from both

internal and external stakeholders.

► The inclusion of assessment forms in all Development Education activities so that both teachers and

students can evaluate these actions.

► An online space where all the organizations collaborating with the Social Action Program in Spain can

access a virtual suggestions box. Face-to-face gatherings in which joint evaluations are also carried

out.

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/FEEDBACK-AND-COMPLAINTS-POLICY_20140711_en.pdf

mailto:[email protected]


NGO3 System for program monitoring, evaluation and learning (including measuring

program effectiveness and impact)

Up until 2014, our projects were the basic unit for monitoring, evaluating and learning from our work. In

2013, we developed a new institutional policy which sets out standards, mechanisms and tools for defining

effective monitoring, evaluation and learning systems for the entire organization.

In 2014, with the creation of the Impact and Learning Unit, Educo has advanced towards a system that

reflects our commitment to moving from the measurement of mid-term results to measuring our impact.

The implementation of this change coincides with the launch of the new 2015-2018 Strategic Plan, which

was formulated in 2014 and establishes common indicators of impact for the entire organization. This

represents great progress towards global measurement and the creation of a system for measuring impact

that enables us to uphold the highest standards of accountability.

Another highlight of our monitoring, evaluation and learning system is the use of applied research in our

projects. We are systematizing research to validate the effectiveness of our projects and the theories of

change that inform our programs (learning).

The results are shared through various channels: the Accountability Report, the Annual Activities Report,

meetings with project participants and stakeholders, sessions open to the public, mid-term review meetings,

joint commissions with local partners, etc.

Below, we present two examples related to this indicator for 2014. In both bases, the studies generated

learning about the projects and have resulted in improved planning for future versions of the same.

Case 1: India – Frame of reference for child-friendly education in the educational quality project in

India

The purpose of this project is to improve teaching quality in the schools where Educo carries out its

Sponsorship Program. This project is present in all of the countries where we implement the Sponsorship

Program, albeit in different forms. As such, it is important to ensure the proper planning, monitoring and

evaluation, so as to guarantee the quality and impact of the project, since this is an essential part of the

program's accountability.

In 2014, we launched a pilot study in India with the aim of:

► Drawing parameters and indicators from Child-Friendly Education (CFE) guidelines and collecting data

from the sponsored schools on the identified parameters

► Identifying key indicators for benchmarking by analyzing the data in a sample of the sponsored

schools

► Developing a typology of schools by identifying specific priorities and interventions required

The study has made it possible to classify schools according to different criteria included the following

relevant indicators of the CFE framework:

(a) Effective for learning

(b) Inclusive of children

(c) Healthy and protective of children

(d) Ties between children, families and communities

How did this study help improve project effectiveness?

Firstly, the evaluation provides quality standards that are aligned with our organizational strategy.

Secondly, it enables us to better identify schools which we should be working with. Finally, it makes it

easier to plan actions aimed at addressing those standards that are lacking in each school, set milestones

for measuring progress, plan the time span for the program, and enhance the sustainability and

focalization of resources for greater impact.

In summary, this study has generated learning that will serve to revisit the project’s planning, improve its

impact and contribute to the accountability of the Sponsorship Program.


Case 2: Guatemala – Evaluation of the project “Strengthening the School Guidance System in the

framework of KEMTZIJ”

This project constitutes an interesting example of pedagogical experimentation. Its aim is to improve the

educational quality, learning and skills development of children through the cultural and linguistic

relevance of teachers, principals and pedagogical guidance staff. It is a pilot project carried out in 108

primary schools in four municipalities in the central part of the Quiché Department. A series of tools for

school teachers and principals was created within the framework of the National System for School

Accompaniment (SINAE), called Kem Tzij, to improve learning in the areas of math, the K’iche’ language

and Spanish.

Upon the project's finalization, an evaluation was carried out to determine if the cultural and linguistic

relevance of the teachers, principals and pedagogical guidance staff contributed to improving children’s

school performance and learning.

The evaluation concluded the following:

► Overall, the strategies were effective, although they should be reviewed and improved upon for future

implementation.

► Although the levels of learning have improved, these continue to be low due to the fact that school

performance depends on many other factors not contemplated by the project, such as the difficult

living conditions in Quiché. As such, in order to obtain more significant improvements in school

performance in Quiché it is necessary to address other problems that contribute to poor performance.

► Despite the participation of Departmental Directorate staff, the Directorate did not assume certain

ownership and support for the project. Consequently, it is difficult to ensure the continuity and

sustainability of the project upon finalization.

Currently, given proof of the impact of the project on educational quality, the project is continuing. In the

first phase, modifications were made based on observations and efforts were made to increase the

Departmental Directorate’s support, thus making it possible to establish an exit strategy. On the other

hand, a situational analysis was conducted to identify the most influential factors for educational quality,

so that the project could delve deeper into the issue in the following year.

NGO4. Measures to integrate gender and diversity into program design and

implementation, and the monitoring, evaluation and learning cycle

Non-discrimination is one of the guiding principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, as well as

of Educo’s current Strategic Plan. As an institutional principle, non-discrimination is an operating standard

that guides our actions and its adoption and implementation is obligatory and should be demonstrable.

Our work is built on the belief that all children should have the opportunity to fulfill their rights, irrespective

of their or their families’ national, ethnic or social origin, language, religion, political opinion, economic

position, differences in ability or any other status. As such, all of our policies and procedures should apply

and promote this principle of non-discrimination.

We are currently in the process of formulating a Policy of Non-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion, which

will establish the guidelines for ensuring the systematic integration of an inclusive approach both within the

organization and throughout all phases of the project cycle. Once the policy has been established, we

will start to design different strategies to proactively promote inclusion.

With respect to gender, according to the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan, Educo works to contribute to women’s

full enjoyment of their rights, basic liberties and full-fledged citizenship. The plan establishes a gender

approach as a cross-cutting aspect in all interventions. By doing so, the intention is for all projects to

contribute in some way to empowering women and guaranteeing that they can exercise their basic rights,

eliminating any form of segregation or discrimination.


As such, we adopt a gender approach in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of our

development projects. For more information, see our Guide to Gender Mainstreaming (available in Spanish).

Case 1: Ghana – Professional training and non-formal education for marginalized rural youth

In keeping with the principles of non-discrimination, in identifying the projects we always aim to include

marginalized groups at risk for exclusion. This project, which offers professional training and non-formal

education to rural youths in the Kumbungu District of Ghana, is one example. The Kumbungu District is

characterized by high illiteracy, unemployment and poverty rates. This situation leads many people—

especially girls and women—to migrate to the cities, where they work in precarious jobs in exchange for

a miserable wage in order to contribute to their families’ survival. These women are often subject to

physical, economic and sexual abuse and suffer from related complications, such as unwanted

pregnancies and illness, living in inhumane conditions.

This project aims to equip young people in the Kumbungu District with the skills they need to earn a

livable wage and to reduce migration to the cities.

Taking a gender approach into account, the project selects more women than men to participate. As

such, in addition to establishing 2/3 participation of girls, the following selection criteria are applied:

► Age range between 15 and 35 years old

► Member of one of the vulnerable communities of the Kumbungu District

► Low family income

► Situation of vulnerability (unemployed, working in the street, teenage mothers, girls in shelters,

persons with disabilities, etc.)

NGO5. Processes to formulate, communicate, implement and change advocacy positions

and public awareness campaigns

In the second half of 2014 we initiated the formulation of an advocacy strategy and protocol for defining

institutional positioning. This process is being led by the newly-created Campaigns and Advocacy

Department in the Head Office, which is responsible for coordinating all of Educo’s advocacy actions.

We are aware that as an organization we still have a long way to go in this area, which is why we highly value

our participation in NGO networks and the opportunity this provides us with to share experiences and

learning with other organizations. For instance, we participate in a debate group on the privatization of

education and the development of the positioning of the Global Campaign for Education. Moreover, we are

participating in advocacy campaigns of ChildFund Alliance—of which we are members—including the

freefromviolence.org campaign, adapting this to the Spanish context.

Case 1- Global Campaign for Education

Educo forms part of the Global Campaign for Education (GCE), an international coalition of NGOs,

teachers’ unions, schools and social movements. The campaign launched by this coalition, “Vote for

Education” demands that governments adopt new promises in the new SDG (Sustainable Development

Goals) and EFA (Education for All) agendas for 2030. The aim is to guarantee free, equitable, inclusive and

ongoing education for all.

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/Gesti%c3%b3n%20de%20la%20Calidad/politica_de_genero_ANEXO_1.pdf

http://freefromviolence.org/

http://www.cme-espana.org/yovotoporlaeducacion

http://www.cme-espana.org/yovotoporlaeducacion


Case 2: El Salvador – Strengthening public policies

The Strengthening Public Policies project in El Salvador aims to accompany State institutions in the

implementation of public policies that guarantee Child Rights, particularly in the areas of health, education

and protection.

The project includes the following activities:

(a) Strengthening education policies

(b) Strengthening health policies

(c) Supporting the implementation of the doctrine of comprehensive protection for children

This last activity is included as a strategy to support municipal governments in generating local

information that makes it possible to define policies and ordinances. On the other hand, we foment our

participation in civil society networks with experience in lobbying for public policy, and we participate in

formulating proposals for legislation and programs that make it possible for the State to offer services

and improve fulfillment of child rights.

NGO6 Processes to take into account and coordinate with other actors

For Educo, it is essential to join forces with other organizations to improve the quality and scope of the our

results, not only in the implementation of programs and projects but also in terms of awareness-raising,

which contributes to fostering a culture that promotes, protects and upholds rights.

At the beginning of this year we published our Partnership Policy and Guide, which defines why and how

Educo works in partnership with other organizations, implying a joint conception of programs and projects,

a shared commitment to contributing resources and mutual accountability. Only by building effective

partnerships based on commitment, equity and respect will we be able to achieve our strategic goals and

have a lasting impact. As such, we understand partnership as a working relationship based on shared

objectives, rewards and risks.

Our Partnership Policy and Guide

specifies that the implementation

of a program, project or initiative

should be accompanied by

periodic monitoring and

evaluation (both technical and

financial) with the aim of

guaranteeing accountability and

mutual learning.

Educo divides the partnerships

management cycle in three

different phases: define scope and

build partnerships; implement

and review; and sustain results.


Case 1: Mali, Coordinating with the public administration

We have worked at a local level in collaboration with the Regional Directorate for Child Protection and

Family to map regional stakeholders and actors working in favor of Child Rights. This map enables us to

develop a deep understanding of the actors who are involved in child-related issues, and their

interrelationship, in the Segou region.

The increasing number of petitions received by public authorities and NGOs reflects the difficulty the

Community Health Centers (Cscom) have to function independently. Since their decentralization, the

lack of technical and financial resources that reach the Cscom hinders their proper functioning, and

neither member fees not medicine sales can adequately cover operational costs. From the outset, all of

our projects are aimed at addressing structural causes of vulnerability so that their positive impact will

last long into the future. Under no circumstances, however, do we intend to substitute or exercise the

role of the State. We intervene with support for the ASACO (Community Health Associations) and the

Cscom by providing materials, equipment and capacity-building for the field agents and members of the

ASACO office.

Case 2: Guatemala, Coordinating with local partner organizations

In order to achieve a greater impact in Guatemala, we collaborate with three local organizations. Each of

them contributes its knowledge and experience in different areas: with Akebi we address the issue of

parent participation; with Prodeso we train teachers so that they can provide better quality education

and bilingual education; and with Verde y Azul we seek to improve school infrastructures to facilitate

access to education.

Akebi: provides guidance and training to the members of the Parents’ Association and to school teachers

and principals so that they can influence educational quality. This includes literacy training and training

so that heads of family can complete their primary education and thereby help their children with their

schoolwork; attend school meetings to address educational issues; propose actions for improving school

installations; make recommendations on how to improve methodologies and contribute contents for

the Institutional Education Project.

Prodesa: works to improve educational quality and intercultural bilingual education, and provides

educational materials, tools and instruments that facilitate learning with linguistic cultural relevance for

children in the K'iche community.

Verde y Azul: addresses quantitative and qualitative deficiencies in school infrastructures—one of the

needs identified but not prioritized in our intervention area—in order to ensure ideal teaching and

learning conditions.

Case 3: El Salvador, Coordinating with international NGOs

In El Salvador we participate in a network of Sponsorship NGOs formed by Educo, World Vision, Save

the Children, Plan International, Feed the Children, Compassion and ActionAid in order to coordinate,

share information regarding geographic coverage and avoid sponsorship overlapping.

There are other platforms of international and national NGOs which we coordinate and act jointly with

to undertake press conferences, forums and calls to action to pressure the State to comply with and

guarantee Child Rights.


II. Financial Management

NGO7 Resource allocation, tracking and control

Our audited financial statements are presented annually to the Protectorate of Foundations of the

Generalitat de Catalunya, in which Educo is legally registered, and published on our website. The 2014

financial statements were audited by the auditing firms Ernst & Young and Audalia. One of the control

measures we apply is that both firms must agree in their opinion about our accounts. To date, we are the

only NGO in Spain that uses this coauditing system.

In Educo, the effective allocation of resources to the organization’s strategic goals is based on:

► The specification and adaptation of the Strategic Plan to each of the program countries through the

elaboration of the Country Plan. For the short term, the Annual Budget and Annual Operating Plan,

which contain the narrative planning and budget planning for all of the projects and activities which are

to be carried out in the field.

► Validated and verified instruments and mechanisms for the registration, information, monitoring and

control of our activities and our goals. A new management software that is adapted to the needs of

the activity to register all transactions and to compare these against the budget, both in the Head Office

and the Country Offices. This enables us to issue budget monitoring reports and qualitative and

quantitative management indicators. On the other hand, we have developed and continually update

manuals with the policies, norms and internal procedures, which describe Educo's "way of doing", as

well as the controls that monitor the suitability and effectiveness of our processes.

With respect to resource tracking, all income is registered in a software application with the donor’s

information and the intended use for the funds, among other information. With respect to the application

of funds, tracking is based mainly on the existence of a detailed annual budget and the use of accounting

software for registering all operations and for performing analytical and budgetary accounting, which makes

it possible to prepare detailed monthly reports on budget execution. Budget tracking is carried out using

different formats for the organization’s program countries, management and governance body.

In addition to the internal process for tracking resources and monitoring activities, the Internal Audit

Department is responsible for auditing the proper use of resources in the Head Office and the program

countries (not just economic) and of verifying compliance with manuals and policies.

In previous years, not all of the funds received were allocated. As such, the reserves steadily increased during

those periods, having been allocated gradually in subsequent periods to those actions for which they were

received. In this regard, it should be noted that we always meet the ratios established by the tax legislation

applicable to foundations in the Head Office’s location.

How do we minimize the risk of funds being misused?

Educo has established administrative management and economic control processes throughout the

organization, by which:

► All incurred expenses are subject to strict budgetary control, with any deviations requiring prior approval

in function of the amount incurred.

► All Educo management bodies have access to the budget monitoring reports.

► Funds transferred to the Country Offices and local partner organizations for the projects are made

according to an established procedure that includes prior justification of the funds requested, a

comparison with the approved budget, and an exhaustive review of the justification of the previously

transferred funds. The role of our field teams in this process is crucial, since it is they who are mainly

http://www.educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/FUNDACION-EDUCACION-Y-COOPERACION-CCAA-2014-english.pdf?ext=.pdf


responsible for the proper management and application of the resources. As such, each Country Office

has updated manuals outlying internal policies and procedures.

► Managers and employees who are not directly involved in the projects’ management frequently visit the

projects.

► The organization submits to an external financial audit every year.

► The organization has an Internal Audit Department whose objective is to verify the coherent and

responsible application of resources and to confirm diligence in management processes. Internal audits

include an analysis of risks, the identification and validation of the preventive measures established and

the ongoing monitoring of the actions taken, in the interest of minimizing the risk of fraud or corruption,

as well as of establishing channels for monitoring and reducing risks in the organization's internal

management.

► With respect to cash management, the organization has an Investment Policy and written procedures

and norms that include controls, such as the requirement of signed approval for the withdrawal of

certain quantities, bank reconciliation, cash counts, etc.).

NGO8 Sources of funding by category

Educo’s income comes from private donation—sponsor fees and periodic donations— which represent

76.95% of all income in 2014.

Below is a breakdown of the sources of income in 2014 by category, as well as the five largest single donors

and the monetary value of their contributions.

INCOME SOURCES BY CATEGORY Financial value

(in thousands of Euros)

Percentage

Income from activities 28,230 75%

Merchandising sales 10 0.02%

Contributions from sponsors and individual donors 25,399 67.67%

Official grants 23 0.06%

Bequests 207 0.55%

Other donations 2,577 6.85%

Other income 14 0.04%

Financial income 4,778 13%

Use of operating reserves 4,527 12%

TOTAL 37,534 100%

DONORS MONETARY VALUE

1. EISMANN, S.A. €18,568.00

2. EUROPASTRY, S.A. €16,000.00

3. PEPSICO FOODS, A.I.E. €15,000.00

4. BBVA - CAUSAS SOLIDARIAS (SUMA) €13,788.00

5. FUNDACION KASIL €13,000.00


III. Environmental Management

EN16 Total direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by weight

To calculate the organization's carbon footprint, the organization uses the Corporate Standard and the

Corporate Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard supplement to the GHG Protocol.

The following table details the emission factors and activity sources used to calculate the carbon footprint.

The data reflected here was gathered from the Country Offices, from the Purchasing and Travel Departments

in the Head Office, and through the invoices received from the electric companies.

Type of activity Details and activity source Source of calculation

AIR CONDITIONING

Annual ratio of leaks according to type

of machinery and emission factor

according to type of refrigerant gas

IPCC data

Calculation method based on DECC’s GHG

Conversion factors 2012 for company reporting

- DEFRA (Department for Environment Food

and Rural Affairs – United Kingdom) Source: Report from maintenance

company / Country Office information

ELECTRICITY

CONSUMPTION

Kwh electricity

Spain: Emission factor indicated in electric

company invoices.

Country Office data:

International Energy Agency

DECC’s GHG Conversion factors 2012 for

company reporting (DEFRA). Source: Electricity company invoices

PAPER

CONSUMPTION

Kg paper by type and composition Paper calculator, took for measuring the

environmental impacts of paper -

Environmental Paper Network, USA Source: Information provided by supply

companies

TRAVEL / PERSONAL

TRANSPORT

Origin and destination of air travel ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator –

International Civil Aviation Organization Source: Report from the Travel

Department

Km in private transportation Practical guide for calculating GHG emissions –

Oficina Catalana de Canvi Climàtic (Generalitat

de Catalunya) Km in Public transportation

TRANSPORT OF

MATERIALS

Tons merchandise/Km traveled Tool for the calculation of GHG emissions from

transport - Greenhouse Gas Protocol Initiative

Transport Tool 2014 Source: Transport company

invoices

In line with the objectives for 2014, we have calculated our carbon footprint at the organizational level. More

specifically, we have included emissions data from our activities in the Head Office, the Delegations in Spain

and the Country Offices in Asia, America and Africa.

Given that this is the first year that we have emissions data for the entire organization, from this point

forward we will use 2014 as a baseline year for monitoring our progress with respect to control measures

and emissions reduction.

http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/index.html

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2012-greenhouse-gas-conversion-factors-for-company-reporting


http://www.iea.org/



http://calculator.environmentalpaper.org/home

http://www.icao.int/ENVIRONMENTAL-PROTECTION/CarbonOffset/Pages/default.aspx

http://canviclimatic.gencat.cat/ca/redueix_emissions/guia_de_calcul_demissions_de_co2/

http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/refrigeration

http://www.ghgprotocol.org/calculation-tools/refrigeration


Scopes 1 and 2 present complete data for Educo’s offices around the world. However, the data included in

Scope 3 are still limited to Spain with respect to work-related travel, travel to and from work and paper

consumption.

While the majority of these activities take place in Spain (use of corporate material or international travel),

the objective for 2015 is to broaden Scope 3 to include all activities in the Country Offices.

Carbon footprint 2014 (tons)

SCOPE SCOPE 1 SCOPE 2 SCOPE 3

Type of

emissions /

Country

Private

transportation Air conditioning

Electricity

consumption

Transport

of materials

Work-

related

travel

Transport

to and

from

work

Paper (corporate

material and

office supplies)

Totals 313.80 74.91 262.34 11.141 244.95 45.95 200.80

Bangladesh 16.84 3.03 13.05

11.141

Benin 2.14 0.34 1.82

Bolivia 2.91 0 2.76

Burkina Faso 23.36 1.29 38.27

Cambodia 5.69 3.16 16.09

Ecuador 14.19 2.23 12.22

El Salvador 156.63 16.04 37.95

Spain 1.66 9.63 76.99 244.95 45.95 200.80

Philippines 27.01 6.93 22.28

Ghana 0.22 0 NA2

Guatemala 9.64 0 1.20

India 0 0.78 8.63

Mali 15.61 6.68 20.19

Nicaragua 31.80 4.53 5.61

Peru 0.51 0 1.70

Senegal 5.60 1.94 3.59

TOTAL 1153.89

2 Not applicable. They use a shared office.

33%

Own vehicles

and air

conditioning

23%

Electricity

44%

Transport,

travel and

paperEduco's 2014

carbon footprint


While we have established a global scope for calculating our carbon footprint, in order to analyze the

evolution of our greenhouse gas emissions we have compared the emissions related to our activities in Spain

over the last three years.

As can be observed in the following graph, our direct emissions, air conditioning and private transport,

have decreased in comparison to 2012 and 2013. However, our indirect emissions have increased. This

increase is due to the increase in emissions derived from travel and paper consumption. With respect to

travel, our recent membership of ChildFund Alliance, as well as our increased participation in national and

international networks working with children, have directly led to an increase in travel. On the other hand,

while paper consumption has not increased significantly, the emissions derived have increased due to a

change in the type of paper used to produce our corporate materials.

On a positive note, the emissions derived

from the transport of material have

decreased due to the application of a plan

for building collaborator loyalty. Among

other measures, the plan replaces physical

mailing with digital mailings of items such

as photographs, thus reducing the

transport of materials between the Head

Office and the Country Offices.

EN18 Initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and reductions achieved

EN26 Initiatives to mitigate environmental impacts of activities and services

In 2015 we approved our Environmental Policy, which expresses our firm commitment to protecting the

environment, both in the implementation of our programs and projects and in our day-to-day operations.

The institutional commitment to environmental protection guarantees coherence with our philosophy and

with the our rights-based approach, particularly with respect to one of our three strategic goals, Goal 2

"Protection", and its Objective 2.3 "Protection of children from natural disasters by increasing community

resistance and resilience”.

The objectives of the policy are: reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated by our activities; ensure that

Educo's programs and policies respect and protect the environment; encourage participating groups to

adopt a positive attitude with respect to the conservation of the environment and natural resources; reduce

environmental impacts derived from our office activities and contribute to sustainable development by fully

integrating environmental protection and respect throughout the organization.

In 2014 we engaged in actions to reduce the environmental impact of our activities. Below are several

examples of such actions.

-

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2012 2013 2014

Carbon footprint for Educo Spain

Transport, travel

and paper

Electricity

Own vehicles

and air

conditioning


Nicaragua Spain

► We promote the building of more efficient stoves

for preparing school meals. According to the

studies conducted, this measure has led to a

reduction in combustible material (wood) and up

to 21% of greenhouse gas emissions, as

compared with conventional stoves.

► We also build bathroom facilities with systems for

treating greywater and waste in rural areas. This

system does away with the traditional latrine, thus

eliminating bad odors, focal points of disease and

contamination of groundwater sources.

► Projects to provide drinking water are based on

the principles of protection and only use 60% of

the water volume, thus ensuring that the water

flow is not altered in a way that affects

surrounding flora and fauna. Moreover, we

engage in reforestation of water catchment areas

and regulate water consumption through gauges

in order to avoid waste. This is accompanied by

awareness and education campaigns on the care

and conservation of aquifer recharge areas, as

well as of water resources.

► We promote the use of videoconferencing

tools to reduce emissions derived from

work-related travel. For example, in 2014

we initiated a cycle of virtual meetings

between the organizations participating in

our Social Action Program—a total of 54

throughout Spain—and representatives

from various departments of Educo. The

organizations acknowledged the significant

ecological savings that the change to virtual

meetings represents.

► We have also reduced the emissions related

to transport of materials, due to the

implementation of a new loyalty-building

plan that fosters digital mailings of loyalty-

building elements instead of physical

mailings. Between 2013 and 2014 we

reduced emissions in this concept by 41%.

Philippines Guatemala

► Energy-saving measures at the office level:

► Turn off lights in common areas when these are

not in use and use natural light during working

hours.

► Turn off computers and monitors at the end of the

working day.

► Use computers’ energy saving mode when not in

use during the working day.

► Turn off faucets and check pipes and taps to avoid

leaks.

► Clean air conditioning units every quarter and

clean filters every month.

► Promote car-pooling among staff to save fuel in

the commute to work.

► Conduct periodic maintenance on the

organization’s vehicles.

► In our food security projects, we promote

the use of local resources to reduce

dependence on external resources; we also

encourage the use of agroecological

practices.

► We also promote the use of wood-saving

stoves to reduce wood consumption and

deforestation.

► We built filters for greywater so that this

can be used for watering crops.

► Our basic sanitation projects contemplate

the use of biodigestors so that waste is not

disposed of in rivers and is instead

converted in fertilizer for farming.


IV. Human Resource Management

LA1 Size and composition of total workforce

The following table shows the distribution of Educo staff and volunteers by country, contract type and level

of responsibility.

COUNTRY TOTAL NUMBER

OF EMPLOYEES

TOTAL NUMBER

OF VOLUNTEERS

BY CONTRACT TYPE BY LEVEL OF

RESPONSIBILITY

Perm

an

en

t

Tem

po

rary

Fu

ll-t

ime

Part

-tim

e

Man

ag

ers

Sp

ecia

list

s,

tech

nic

ian

s

an

d

ad

min

istr

ato

r

s

Bangladesh 348 0 346 2 347 1 11 288

Benin 10 0 0 10 8 2 2 4

Bolivia 18 0 12 6 18 0 3 15

Burkina Faso 69 0 55 14 69 0 11 58

Cambodia 13 0 7 6 13 0 4 9

Ecuador 35 0 18 17 35 0 3 32

El Salvador 162 0 156 6 162 0 23 94

Ghana 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0

Guatemala 13 0 13 0 13 0 4 7

India 9 0 5 4 9 0 3 4

Mali 24 0 21 3 24 0 4 16

Nicaragua 26 0 26 0 26 0 11 15

Peru 18 0 14 4 18 0 4 14

Philippines 58 0 56 2 58 0 6 52

Senegal 7 0 4 3 7 0 1 6

Spain 123 11 114 9 109 14 36 71

TOTAL 934 11 848 86 904 17 126 685

EC7 Procedures for local hiring and proportion of senior management and workforce

hired from the local community

Educo prioritizes the hiring of employees from the local communities in the program countries. When it

is not possible to hire a person from the same country for a particular job, we prioritize regional hiring, that

is the hiring of a person from a neighboring country.

This principle is established in the Foundation’s Expatriate Policy and applies to all professional categories.

The hiring of expatriates in program countries is minimal and has decreased from 11 to 4 staff members

since 2013. All new local hires correspond to upper-management positions. Overall, less than .05% of country

staff are expatriates.


LA10 Workforce training to support organizational development

LA12 Performance reviews and career development plans

Educo is committed to creating a work environment that fosters collaboration and teamwork. As such, it

should incorporate comprehensive evaluations with measures not only of performance, but also of

competencies, the impact in the organization and the influence on the change in organizational culture, thus

augmenting the coherence in the management of talent and recognizing the commitment and implication

of the team.

In 2014 we worked to formalize performance review systems in all program countries. At the end of 2014,

42% of all organization staff had undergone a formal review process, as compared with 24% at the end of

2013.

The Head Office offers continuous support to the countries throughout this process, based on the

Performance Review and Development Manual. As the manual establishes, Educo regards the strengthening

of a culture based on excellence and individual and collective development, as well as individual and

institutional accountability, to be a basic responsibility of the institution. The manual includes guidelines for

the performance and development cycles and timeline, as well as the roles and responsibilities of each

person involved in this process.

Average training

hours by

professional

category and

country M

an

ag

ers

Sp

ecia

list

s,

tech

nic

ian

s an

d

ad

min

istr

ato

rs

Bangladesh 48.7 53.6

Benin 128 128

Bolivia 5.3 0.0

Burkina Faso 160 160

Cambodia 42.0 64.0

Ecuador 4.3 8.2

El Salvador 9.1 11.1

Ghana 0 0

Guatemala 1.6 12.6

India 0,0 0.0

Mali 31.3 9.8

Nicaragua 7.5 21.3

Peru 7.3 0,0

Philippines 76.0 42.1

Senegal 40.0 13.0

Spain 16.1 9.6

The Annual Development Plan, which will be defined in

2015, will complement the current training plan,

incorporating new didactic approaches based on

collaboration and independent and personalized learning

practices aligned with Educo's new strategic focus. This

initiative will promote new spaces that are linked to

learning and communities of practice and are

complemented by mentoring and guidance by experts

from within the organization. For instance, we are currently

working to integrate a rights-based approach and to

redefine and promote a new organizational culture.

This new approach also contemplates the inclusion of open

courses through a shared learning platform for the Educo

community, the aim of which is to encourage members of

the Educo community to share knowledge and experience

related to our organization's work.

The table on the left shows the average number of training

hours per employee by professional category in the

different program countries. For the purposes of this

report, we have included information for all of the program

countries. In 2014, a total of 0.27% of the overall budget

was allocated to staff training.


LA13 Diversity in Educo

COUNTRY

TO

TA

L N

UM

BER

OF

EM

PLO

YEES

BY GENDER BY AGE GROUP

Men

Wo

men

Un

der

30

years

old

Betw

een

30

an

d

50

years

old

Over

50

years

old

Bangladesh 348 36.5% 63.5% 21% 75% 4%

Benin 10 60% 40% 40% 60% 0%

Bolivia 18 50% 50% 20% 79% 1%

Burkina

Faso

69 42% 58% 10% 83% 7%

Cambodia 13 54% 46% 60% 40% 0%

Ecuador 35 60% 40% 40% 60% 0%

El Salvador 162 56% 44% 1% 91% 8%

Ghana 1 100% 0% 0% 100% 0%

Guatemala 13 77% 23% 50% 44% 6%

India 9 44% 56% 0% 100% 0%

Mali 24 83% 17% 27% 73% 0%

Nicaragua 26 58% 42% 17% 67% 16%

Peru 18 61% 39% 33.3% 52.4% 14.3%

Philippines 58 59% 41% 46% 52% 2%

Senegal 7 57% 43% 22% 78% 0%

Spain 123 63% 37% 2,4% 8,2% 15,5%

TOTAL 934 47% 53% 25% 70% 5%

Educo highly values the diversity of its

team. Promoting representative, equitable

and diverse teams makes it possible to

reconcile different approaches and align

our work with the institutional strategy.

For this reporting period, we provide

details regarding current staff distribution

by age and gender. In coming years, we will

implement a tool for country-based

monitoring that incorporates all of the

criteria Educo has set for equity and

diversity, including indicators for disability.

Currently we do not have consolidated data

on people with different abilities in the

organization as a whole. However, the

Generalitat de Catalunya, the regional

government of Catalonia, certifies our

compliance with current regulations. For

additional information about how we

address diversity, please see indicator

NGO4.

The table on the left shows the distribution

of Educo staff by country, gender and age

group.

The data included in the tables below reflects, in greater detail, the diversity of Educo staff in Spain3, as

broken down by professional category, age and gender. At the beginning of 2014, the gender balance at

the management level became equal—the Executive Committee is formed by 50% men and 50% women—

and another woman joined the Board of Trustees.

3 The data for Spain includes expatriate staff.


DISTRIBUTION OF STAFF IN SPAIN AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY

Total

Gender Age

Women Men Under 30 years old Between 30 and 50

years old Over 50 years old

Board of Trustees 8 25% 75% 0% 37.5% 62.5%

Executive Committee 8 50% 50% 0% 50% 50%

Managers and

Coordinators

28 54% 46% 0% 86% 14%

Specialists,

technicians and

administrators

71 66% 34% 1% 89% 10%

Administrative

support

16 69% 31% 12% 63% 25%

Total 131 60% 40% 2.3% 79.4% 18.3%

NGO9 Mechanisms for workforce to raise grievances and get response

At the Human Resources policy level, Educo has a general Labor Relations Manual which defines the

minimum standards with respect to work conditions, rights and responsibilities for the entire workforce in

all program countries. Each Country Office then adapts this manual in function of current local legislation.

On the other hand, since 2014 we have been working on a new security policy to establish guidelines for the

protection of Educo staff and assets in the program countries. This is a general framework upon which to

formulate a Protection Manual, which is extensive to the entire Foundation, as well as the Protection Plans,

which should be established in each of the program countries. In those countries where a Law on the

Prevention of Workplace Risks exists, we provide strict monitoring to ensure compliance; in those countries

where no specific law exists to this effect, the prevention of workplace risks is contemplated within the

Security Policy. This document will be published in the second half of 2015.

Employee feedback and grievances can be presented through the channels established in the Complaints

and Feedback Policy (physical drop boxes in the offices and a specific email address in each country). The

issues presented through these channels to date have led to several improvements in the organization.

Some of the changes implemented in 2014 are as follows:

► Improved installations

► Modification of labor regulations

► Broader scope of annual medical check-ups

► Improved IT systems

We prepare half-yearly reports on the feedback and grievances received, and their respective resolution,

which are presented to the Executive Director and later published internally.

In the first half of 2014 we launched the “Educo Thinks” campaign in the Head Office to encourage

employees to present their feedback and grievances through the established channels. As a result, in the

second half of the year we observed a 50% increase in the number of suggestions and complaints received.

Other feedback mechanisms include periodic employee engagement surveys, which assess aspects such as

workplace conditions, work content and task execution, among other things. The results of these surveys

are analyzed in order to inform the decision-making process. The surveys conducted this past year revealed

the need to engage in a global assessment of the organizational culture. As such, in 2015 we are preparing

a survey to evaluate various attributes/values and dimensions of the organizational culture in Educo, which

will be sent to all Educo staff in the 16 program countries. An analysis of the results of this assessment will

serve to identify Educo's current organizational culture and define those actions that will steer us towards

the organizational culture we wish to have.


V. Responsible Management of Impacts on Society

SO1 The impact of our activities on local communities

Our projects seek to change the behavior of the people involved, in the interest of strengthening their

practice of citizenship. With respect to children’s education, we work with both rights holders and duty

bearers to ensure that they assume their role and can thus contribute to guaranteeing the fulfillment of

Child Rights.

Educo’s Approach to Change

We guarantee respect for human rights and child protection by:

1. Recognizing, respecting and publicly supporting the role of the three agents of the Rights-Based

Approach in the development of our activities. Being cognizant that our role in the Rights-Based

Approach is one of co-responsibility and not of guarantee.

2. Positioning ourselves in the social context, with local governments, actors and NGO, as an organization

that works for the fulfillment of Child Rights. Contributing as an international NGO to the process of

guaranteeing rights.

3. Facilitating meetings between duty bearers, rights holders and the State so that they can work together

to analyze their achievements and shortcomings.

4. Participating in social platforms and networks working in defense of Child Rights.

More than just a right in and of itself, we regard education as a necessary means for fulfilling all other rights

and freedoms. For this reason, we believe that education should unquestionably be available, accessible,

acceptable and adaptable.

Only in this way will education be able to transform people’s lives while preparing them to transform their

local and global contexts, thus enabling them to contribute to building more just and equitable societies.

Case 1: Ecuador, community health promoters


The project Helping improve the quality of public healthcare for children aims to enhance the growth and

development of children and adolescents. As such, we have coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health

(MPH) since 2012 to provide comprehensive care for common childhood diseases for children under five.

A key element in this process is empowering community health promoters to raise awareness and help

parents engage in preventive measures, identify warning signs and refer serious cases to healthcare

professionals, and to follow up on care issues. The MPH, recognizing the role of health promoters in

reducing the incidence of critical illness and mortality among children in their communities, has decided

to include them in the national health system’s new Comprehensive Healthcare Model.

These health promoters have developed leadership, capacities and skills and have been asked to form

part of local health committees alongside other leaders in this sector, thus assuming a greater role in

prevention and promotion and even acting as observers of public health services.

Case 2: SROI of the Social Action Program

In 2015, in order to measure the impact of the Social Action Program (PAS, for its initials in Spanish), we

initiated a pilot project to evaluate the overall impact of the PAS program in Spain using the SROI method

(Social Return on Investment). This qualitative and quantitative process makes it possible to identify and

measure impact relative to investment. The analysis will make it possible to demonstrate the social value

of the program, that is, be accountable, both internally and externally, to each participating organization.

On the other hand, it contributes to strengthening Educo’s concept of networking.

SO3 Process for ensuring effective anti-corruption policies and procedures

Educo has an Ethical Code that is applicable to the entire organization, as well as procedures that regulate

work carried out with suppliers, communities and any other agent related with our teams.

Among other procedures, each delegation has purchasing procedures that establish the corresponding

control thresholds in function of amount.

We are aware of the need to develop an anti-corruption policy for the entire organization, but we are also

convinced that this process should be complemented by ad hoc training in each of the program countries.

Despite the absence of a specific anti-corruption policy, we do have mechanisms for identifying possible

cases and for avoiding them. As already mentioned, our Ethical Code establishes a zero-tolerance policy

toward corruption and regulates our positioning as an institution. While the Internal Auditing Department

is responsible for ensuring compliance with this code, we consider that it is the responsibility of each and

every member of our team to respect the code, in keeping with an organizational culture based on respect,

responsibility and trust.

SO4 Actions taken in response to incidents of corruption

There were no cases of corruption reported in 2014.


VI. Ethical Fundraising and Communication

PR6 Programs for adherence to laws, standards, and voluntary codes related to ethical

fundraising, including advertising, promotion, and sponsorship

The basic principles that regulate our fundraising activities are set forth in our Ethical Code, Code of

Conduct for Working with Children and Policy for Collaborating with Businesses (published in January 2015,

currently available in Spanish).

The Policy for Collaborating with Businesses establishes the specific values and principles which should

form the basis for all of our collaborations with the private sector. These principles have been incorporated

in the collaboration agreements that are signed with all collaborating businesses. The creation of the Policy

for Collaborating with Businesses was given priority this year. For the year 2015-2016, we plan to draft a

policy on donations to define Educo’s terms and conditions for accepting monetary and in-kind donations

from both individuals and companies.

Likewise, we comply with Spanish Law 10/2010 on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist

Financing, which regulates all foundations in Spain and which affects us in two key ways: on the one hand,

we are obliged to identify any donor who contributes more than 100 Euros a year to our organization; and,

on the other hand, to identify and keep a record of all documents involving the application of funds in all of

our program countries.

At an external level, Educo has been a member of the Asociación Española de Fundraising (Spanish

Fundraising Association) since 2013 and complies with the Ethical Code of AEFR with regards to fundraising.

Our participation in AEFR activities puts us in contact with other organizations and facilitates networking.

For instance, Educo attends the association's annual conferences, which offer training sessions on various

aspects of national and international fundraising, and provide the opportunity to exchange knowledge and

experience with other organization in the sector. In 2014 we participated in the association’s campaign

SOMOS, whose aim was to raise awareness of the importance of the work of NGOs and to encourage the

more active engagement of citizens in Spain.

Currently we publish information about all donations by private sector companies (for a value of over 1,000

euros) in our monthly newsletters, our website and our magazine, which will include a new section on private

sector collaborations starting this year. We have also translated the website to the three main languages of

our program countries: Spanish, French and English.

In 2014, we received five complaints related with our fundraising campaigns and these were responded to

directly through our Contact Center. All feedback and complaints received are handled according to the

procedure established in our Complaints and Feedback Policy, so that the necessary information reaches

both the department or departments involved and the Executive Committee. We are aware of the need to

continue improving and streamlining the flow of internal communication within the complaints and

feedback process, in order to ensure that these mechanisms lead to ongoing learning and improvement.

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/ETHICAL-CODE_VERSION-MAY-2014.pdf

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/CCNNA_201407_en.pdf

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/CCNNA_201407_en.pdf

http://educo.org/Educo/media/Documentos/InformacionFinanciera/Politica_colaboracion_empresas_20150128.pdf

http://aefundraising.org/

http://aefundraising.org/buenas_practicas/

http://www.somosasi.org/

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